Early Voting Provides Gustafson Big Lead in HD 25 Special Election

The Iowa Democrats’ nominee for the House District 25 special election was not present at her own nominating convention and it does not appear she has been present on the campaign trail, either. Republican nominee Stan Gustafson has an overwhelming advantage over Democrat Pam Deichmann in early voting. The special election concludes tonight.

Gustafson is known for being one of the top doorknockers for Republican campaigns in Iowa. It appears he did not let up during his own election. Even on the day before the election, where the statewide high was -4 degrees, Gustafson was still walking the district to make a last minute pitch to voters.

“I think it’s gone pretty well,” Gustafson told TheIowaRepublican.com. “I think it was the tenth day I was walking that it finally got above freezing, so I welcomed that, needless to say.”

According to numbers provided to TheIowaRepublican.com Monday afternoon, early votes in the HD 25 special election break down like this:

Ballots requested

Republican: 654

Democrat: 84

No Party: 98

Ballots turned in

Republican: 564

Democrat: 80

No Party: 86

Garnering a head start of at least 484 votes bodes well for Stan Gustafson’s chances. Most of those “no party” ballots are likely to go his way as well. The GOP holds a voter registration advantage of more than 1,700 in the district. However, the Republican nominee is not ready to proclaim victory yet.

“I’m not one to take anything for granted. You never know,” Gustafson said.

Stan Gustafson has helped numerous GOP campaigns during the past few years. This time, some of those folks returned the favor. Gustafson praised the volunteer base in Madison and Warren counties, as well as some volunteers who came from around the state to lend a hand.

“There are just so many people that helped. All I can say is the volunteers, and there were a lot of them, especially in less than ideal weather conditions. They just came out and spent a lot of days out here talking to voters. I just can’t say enough about them as a group.”

Assuming all goes well today at the polls, the former attorney and retired U.S. Marine is ready to move onto the next phase as an official member of the Iowa Legislature.

“I’m looking forward to sharing the knowledge that I’ve gained here over the years, whether it’s dealing with the budget or veterans issues, things along those lines,” Gustafson said. “My specialty when I was practicing law was international trade. As a state, Iowa’s certainly has a place in international trade with what the governor and lieutenant governor have done, so I’m looking to finding out a little more about that and see if I can be of any help.”

The HD 25 season became vacant when Rep. Julian Garrett won a special election to fill the vacancy in Senate District 13.

About the Author

Kevin Hall

Kevin Hall brings almost two decades of journalistic experience to TheIowaRepublican. Starting in college as a radio broadcaster, Hall eventually became a television anchor/reporter for stations in North Carolina, Missouri, and Iowa. During the 2007 caucus cycle, Hall changed careers and joined the political realm. He was the northwest Iowa field director for Fred Thompson's presidential campaign. Hall helped Terry Branstad return to the governor's office by organizing southwest Iowa for Branstad's 2010 campaign. Hall serves as a reporter/columnist for TheIowaRepublican.com.